Florida:

An Economic Overview
January 10, 2017 Presented by:

The Florida Legislature

Office of Economic and
Demographic Research
850.487.1402
http://edr.state.fl.us
Key Economic Variables Improving
Economy Has Continued Growth...

For the 2015 calendar year, the latest revised data for State Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) showed Florida with real growth of 4.0%, moving Florida above the national
average (indicating 2.4% in 2015) for the third year in a row. In the second quarter of
2016, Florida grew 2.3% at an annual rate, ranking it 7 th in the country.
FL Personal Income Growth Has Similar Story...

Floridas pace for the 2015 calendar year was stronger than 2014, even though personal income for all
states grew at the same rate as in 2014. Florida grew above the national average of 4.4%, recording
growth of 5.2% and ranking 6 th in the country for the percent change from the prior year. However, the
states per capita income was below the nation as a whole and ranked Florida 28 th in the United States.

Newly released Florida data for the third quarter of 2016 showed slightly weakening relative to the second
quarter, dropping Florida to a ranking of 22 nd in the country.
Current Employment Conditions...

November Nonfarm Jobs (YOY)

US 1.6%
FL 3.2%
YR: 263,900 jobs
Peak: +411,700 jobs over Prior Peak
[Prior Employment Peak passed in May 2015]

November Unemployment Rate

US 4.6%
FL 4.9% (482,000 people)

Highest Monthly Rate

11.2% (November 2009 through January 2010)

Lowest Monthly Rate

3.1% (March through April 2006)
Floridas Participation Rate...
Floridas labor force participation
rate most recently peaked at
64% from November 2006 to
March 2007. Since then, the
participation rate has been
generally declining.

The reported participation rate

was 59.0% in October 2016.
Among all unemployed, the
share of those reentering the
labor force declined slightly from
30.0% in November 2015 to
29.7% in November 2016.
However, the share of all
unemployed increased for new
entrants
The data series is limited, but there is some reason to believe from
that 10.7% underlying
Floridas in
employment picture may be improving and / or returning November 2015
to historic to 12.8%
norms. in
However,
November 2016.
the significant size and composition of the long-term unemployed group (162,000
persons or 34% of all unemployed in October) may be confounding some of the trend
results. The equivalent percentage from the United States as a whole was only 25%.
Floridas Job Market...
Floridas job market is still recovering, butafter 8 yearsit finally passed
its most recent peak. However, passing the previous peak does not mean
the same thing today as it did then.
Floridas prime working-age population (aged 25-54) has been adding
people each month, so even more jobs need to be created to address the
population increase since 2007.
It would take the creation of an additional 920,000 jobs for the same
percentage of the total population 16 years and over to be working as was
the case at the peak. However, a significant number of older Floridians
who are currently out of the labor force may never return to work because
they are on disability and / or they are now nearing retirement age.
If the universe is limited to the prime working-age population (aged 25-
54), then 370,000 jobs would need to be created for the same percentage
of that age group to be working as was the case at the peak.
Across the State, Employment Picture Is
Improving, but Still Mixed...

Area March 2007 to

March 2016

Sumter 30.3% Greatest

County Percentage
Increase

Florida 2.6%

Liberty -26.5% Greatest

County Percentage
Decline

Comparing March data over the year, it has taken

Florida nine years to finally surpass its March
2007 level of employment. In total, 30 counties
have gained employment relative to their levels at
that point. Last year, there were only 18 counties.
Wage Gap Stopped its Decline in 2015...

Floridas average annual wage has typically been below the US average. The preliminary data
for the 2015 calendar year showed that it improved very slightly to 87.4% of the US average.
The posting in 2014 was 87.2%, Floridas lowest percentage since 2001.

In part, the lower than average wage gains has to do with the mix of jobs that are growing the
fastest in Florida. Not only is the Leisure & Hospitality employment sector large, it has seen
some of the fastest growth. This sector is closely related to the health of Floridas tourism
industry. Final adjusted estimates for FY 2015-16 indicate that a record 109.5 million visitors
came to Florida for an increase of 6.9 percent over FY 2014-15.
Baby Boomers in FL Today

The first cohort of Baby Boomers became eligible for retirement (turned age 65) in 2011. Only six cohorts
have entered the retirement phase: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. This represents 28.7% of all
boomers in Florida today.

In 2000, Floridas working age population (ages 25-54) represented 41.5 percent of the total population. With
the aging Baby Boom generation, this population now represents 38.0 percent of Floridas total population and
is expected to represent only 35.9 percent by 2030.
Population Growth Strengthening
Population growth is the states primary engine of economic growth, fueling
both employment and income growth.

Floridas population growth is expected to remain above 1.5 percent over

the next few years. In the near-term, Florida is expected to grow by
1.58% between 2015 and 2016 and average 1.52% annually between
2015 and 2020. Most of Floridas population growth through 2030 will be
from net migration (92.9%). Nationally, average annual growth will be
about 0.75% between 2015 and 2030.

The future will be different than the past; Floridas long-term growth rate
between 1970 and 1995 was over 3%.

By the end of 2015, Florida broke the 20 million mark. It had surpassed
New York earlier in the year to become the third most populous state.
Floridas April 1 Population

Floridas projected
population growth of
314,051 between April 1,
2015 and April 1, 2016 is
the strongest annual
increase since 2006,
immediately prior to the
collapse of the housing
boom and the beginning
of the Great Recession.

Floridas population:
was 15,982,824 in 2000
was 18,801,332 in 2010
is forecast to grow to 24,099,828 by 2030
Floridas Population Growth

Population:
Average annual increase between 2000 and 2006 was:
361,942
Average annual increase between 2007 and 2015 was:
171,052 2015
Orlando 262,949
Population is forecast to increase on average by: St. Petersburg 256,681
310,863 between 2015 and 2020 --- a gain of 852 per
day
288,704 between 2020 and 2025 --- a gain of 791 per
day
257,362 between 2025 and 2030 --- a gain of 705 per
day
Population Growth by Age Group

Between 2010 and 2030, Floridas population is forecast to grow by over 5.2 million
persons.
Floridas older population (age 60 and older) will account for most of Floridas
population growth, representing 55.8 percent of the gains.
Floridas younger population (age 0-17) will account for 14.3 percent of the gains,
while the young working age group (25-39) will account for 18.3 percent of the
growth.
Florida Housing is Generally Improving...

Single-Family building permit activity, an indicator of new construction, remains in positive territory,
showing strong back-to-back growth in both the 2012 and 2013 calendar years (over 30% in each year).
The final data for the 2014 calendar year revealed significantly slowing (but still positive) activity
posting only 1.6% growth over the prior year. However, calendar year activity for 2015 ran well above
the same period in 2014; single family data was higher than the prior year by 20.3%. Despite the strong
percentage growth rates in three of the last four calendar years, the level is still low by historic standards
not quite half of the long-run per capita level.

For the first eleven months of the 2016 calendar year, single-family building permit activity was running
13.4% over the same period in the prior year, continuing to fall below the 2015 annual growth rate.
2015 Building Permit Activity Relative to the
Countys Peak during the Period 2000-2007
Holmes
Santa Rosa Jackson
Okaloosa
Walton Washington Nassau
Gadsden
Escambia Calhoun Hamilton
Leon Jefferson Madison
Baker Duval
Bay Liberty Columbia
Wakulla Suwannee
Taylor Union
Clay
Gulf Bradford
Franklin Lafayette St. Johns
Gilchrist
Alachua
Putnam
Dixie
Flagler
Levy
Marion
Volusia

Citrus
Lake Seminole
Sumter
Change in Permits from
Hernando
Specific County Annual Orange

Peak Pasco

Osceola
-51.2% to -24.5% Hillsborough Polk
Brevard
Pinellas
-60.9% to -51.3% Indian River

-78.1% to -61.0% Manatee Hardee Okeechobee

St. Lucie
Highlands
-85.5% to -78.2% DeSoto
Sarasota Martin
-100.0% to -85.6% Charlotte Glades

Lee Hendry Palm Beach

No county has surpassed its peak building permit Collier Broward

activity level. However, improvements can still be Miami-Dade

seen. When the 2015 results are compared to Monroe

2014, 53 counties issued building permits for

more units,10 counties issued permits for fewer
units, and 4 counties issued the same number.
Existing home sales
volume in both 2014 and
2015 exceeded the 2005
peak year; however, the
sales activity in the first
eleven months of 2016 has
been sluggish relative to
last year. For this period,
Florida is running slightly
below its 2015 pace.
Floridas existing home price
gains have roughly tracked
national gains over the first
eleven months of 2016, with the
states median home price for
single family homes staying
slightly flatter as the national
Floridas Peak Price was $257,800 (June 2006); now $220,000 or 14.7% below. median peaked and dipped. The
states median price in November
was 93.0% of the national median
price.
Data through November 2016
 Documentary Stamp Collections
(Preliminary: Reflecting All Activity)

Documentary Stamp Tax collections saw 7.4% growth in FY 2015-16 over FY 2014-15.
 Sales Mix Still Atypical...
Financed Sales continue to
gain as a percentage of all
sales, ending August 2016
with a higher share than this
segment had in August 2015
(49.94% versus 45.53%).
The share for REO & Short
Sales has drifted steadily
downward over this period;
however, the share for Cash
Sales has remained fairly
consistent.
Data from LPS / Black Knight

Interest rates continue to be low; a 30-year conventional note averaged

3.81 for closed notes in November. When coupled with expected future
growth in prices, a subdued interest rate environment leads to a new
concern or, more accurately, the return of an old one. According to
RealtyTrac, Florida had the second highest share of flips in 2015 at 8%,
following Nevada at 8.8%. The national average for 2015 was 5.5% of all
single family home and condo sales; the peak was reached in 2005 at
8.2%. In a more recent report for Q3:2016, RealtyTrac reported: Among
92 metropolitan statistical areas with at least 90 homes flipped in Q3
2016, those with the highest flipping rate were Memphis (11.0 percent);
Clarksville, Tennessee (9.5 percent): Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond
Beach, Florida (9.3 percent); Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida (9.3
percent); and Visalia-Porterville, California (9.3 percent). Other markets in
the top 10 for highest flipping rate were York-Hanover, Pennsylvania (9.2
percent); Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida (9.0 percent); Fresno,
California (8.7 percent); Miami (8.6 percent); and Las Vegas (8.2
percent).
Foreclosures Less of a Florida Issue...
States where Q2 2016
foreclosure activity was still
above pre-recession
averages included Florida (26
percent above pre-recession
levels); New Jersey (215
percent above); Illinois (36
percent above); New York
(127 percent above); Indiana
(2 percent above); South
Carolina (376 percent above);
Massachusetts (127 percent
above); and Washington (29
percent above).
RealtyTrac, Six-Month Report

Calendar Year 2015...

Florida had the second highest State Foreclosure Rate. Floridas foreclosure rate ranked in the Top 5
each month in 2015.

Metro areas with the highest foreclosure rates in 2015 were Atlantic City, New Jersey (3.43 percent of
housing units with a foreclosure filing); Trenton, New Jersey (2.14 percent); Tampa Bay-St. Petersburg-
Clearwater, Florida (2.03 percent); Jacksonville, Florida (2.02 percent); and Miami (1.98 percent).
Foreclosures & Shadow Inventory

Nationallyand in Florida
the foreclosure inventory is
expected to normalize by the
end of the 2018 calendar
year. Judicial states are
taking the longest time to
recover. [Mortgage Monitor, March
2016]

Florida has been helped by decreasing delinquencies and non-current loans which limit the incoming
pipeline. These have been produced by rising home values and employment, as well as reduced
numbers of underwater homes. Floridas underwater homes declined from a high of 50% of all
residential mortgages to less than 7% in the most recent data. This level (6.9% of all Florida loans in
September) is still higher than the country as a whole.

However, a significant share of the remaining foreclosable homes have been delinquent for a long
timeagain according to Black Knight, 37% of loans more than 5 years delinquent in Florida are not
yet actively involved in the foreclosure process.
Homeownership Rate Below Normal

The 2015 percentage of 64.8 is the lowest since 1989, and its below the long-term average
for Florida. Third-quarter data for 2016 shows a further decline to 64.2%, which matches
the implied average for the year. If this level holds for 2016, it will be the lowest level for
Florida in the 32-year history of the series.
Diverted homeowners and
shifting preferences
among Millennials have
caused residential rental
vacancies to tighten
strongly in 2015 and 2016;
price pressure continues 2016:Q3...Florida at 7.2%

to build.

Zillow Rental Data: Median Rent List Price, 2-bedroom

Consumer Perceptions Off From High
University of Michigan: Consumer Sentiment (UMSCENT)
120

110

100

90

80

70

60

50

Nationally, the sentiment reading for December 2016 (98.2) was at its highest level since
January 2004 (103.8). The reading was also well above the index average since inception
(85.4).
Economy Recovering
Florida growth rates are generally returning to more typical levels and continue
to show progress. The dragsparticularly constructionare more persistent
than past events, but the strength in tourism is largely compensating for this.
Overall, it will take another year to climb completely out of the hole left by the
recession. In the various forecasts, normalcy has been largely achieved by the
end of FY 2016-17. Overall...
The recovery in the national economy is near completion on all fronts. While most
areas of commercial and consumer credit have significantly strengthened residential
credit for home purchases still remains somewhat difficult for consumers to access
with a weighted average credit score of 728 and a LTV of 78 percent on all closed
loans in November. Student loans and recently undertaken auto debts appear to be
affecting the ability to qualify for residential credit.

By the close of the 2015-16 fiscal year, most measures of the Florida economy had
returned to or surpassed their prior peaks.
All personal income metrics, about half of the employment sectors and all of the tourism
counts had exceeded their prior peaks.
Still other measures were posting solid year-over-year improvements, even if they were not
yet back to peak performance levels.
In the current forecast, none of the key construction metrics show a return to peak levels until
2020-21.
Upside Risks...
Construction...
The shadow inventory of homes that are in foreclosure or carry
delinquent or defaulted mortgages may contain a significant number of
ghost homes that are distressed beyond realistic use, in that they
have not been physically maintained or are located in distressed
pockets that will not come back in a reasonable timeframe. This means
that the supply has become two-tiered viable homes and seriously
distressed homes.
To the extent that the number of viable homes is limited, new
construction may come back quicker than expected.

More Buyers...
In 2015, the first wave of homeowners affected by foreclosures and
short sales went past the seven-year window generally needed to repair
credit.
While there is no evidence yet, atypical household formation will
ultimately unwinddriving up the demand for housing.
Downside Risk...
The most recent sales tax forecast relies heavily on strong tourism growth. It
makes no adjustments for Zika-related impacts and assumes no other events
that have significant repercussions affecting tourism occur during the forecast
window.
Currently, tourism-related revenue losses pose the greatest potential risk to the
economic outlook.
Previous economic studies of disease outbreaks and natural or manmade disasters
have shown that tourism demand is very sensitive to such events.

In an unrelated study, the Legislative Office

of Economic and Demographic Research
performed an empirical analysis of the
source of the states sales tax collections.
In FY 2013-14, sales tax collections
provided $19.7 billion dollars or 75%
Floridas total General Revenue collections.
Of this amount, an estimated 12.5% (nearly
$2.5 billion) was attributable to purchases
made by tourists.
 General Revenue Forecast
In FY 2014-15, General
Revenue collections
surpassed the prior peak in
2005-06 for the first time since
then. After slowing in FY
2015-16, growth is expected
to pick up during the 2016-17
through 2019-20 time period LR Growth:
as the construction industry Averages 6%
recovers, slowly shifting down
to long-run growth of 3.5%.

The added dollar amounts

through FY 2019-20 (totaling
$201.7 million in the column
labeled Difference) are
additive to the Long-Range
Financial Outlook. Because
the added money from the new
forecast is largely front-loaded,
the recurring benefit is much
smaller. It starts with FY 2017-
18 ($22.6 million); the $119.3
million in FY 2016-17 will be
treated as nonrecurring.
4
 US Retail Sales
& Florida
Taxable Sales

The change over the same month in the

prior year was consistently negative in the
national S&P Retail Select Industry Index
from November 2015 to November 2016.

Throughout the 2015-16 fiscal year and

continuing through November of FY 2016-
17, Floridas taxable sales remained positive
for the same month over the prior year, even
though they exhibited an overall pattern
similar to the national Index. The Florida
monthly fluctuations were much greater than
those seen in FY 2013-14 and FY 2014-15.